Bengaluru: Directorate of Medical Education team inspects ‘missing’ physiotherapy and nursing colleges

After students alleged that colleges where they were allotted seats for Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT), BSc Nursing and other professional courses in the second round of CET counselling were not found at the specified addresses, a team from the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) visited the colleges on Saturday (August 29).

Speaking to The Hindu, B.L. Sujatha Rathod, director of DME, said, “Following allegations from students and media reports about missing or ghost colleges, inspection teams were formed on the instructions of the Medical Education Minister, who visited the colleges. Meanwhile, the change of address of Hosmat College of Physiotherapy, Bengaluru, and Masood College of Physiotherapy, Mangaluru, have been approved by the State government and sent to the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA). However, KEA has not updated the new address of these colleges. So, there is confusion among the students,” she alleged.

“In B.W. Lions Super Speciality Eye Hospital, off J.C. Road, Bengaluru, where Allied Health Science (AHS) course seats are allocated, the management has submitted the seat matrix to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS). At that time, they did not say that they will not be able to run the course. However, after the seat matrix was ​​finalised and submitted to KEA and seat allotment was done, they said the course will not be able to run. This is inexcusable. We will take action against the college. A report on this will be submitted to the government by Monday,” she added.

In addition, an inspection team was also sent to Sushrutha Nursing College. “There is a college at the specified address. But since last year, admissions have not been made in this college. Instead, the staff there said that they are tying up with another college and sending students to that college,” she said, adding that “a high-level investigation” will be conducted against the management and a report will be submitted to the government for legal action.

“There are some complaints against Chettinad Institute of Nursing Education and Research about high fees. This will also be investigated and appropriate action will be taken by lodging a complaint with the fee regulatory committee,” she stated.

However, in its clarification, the RGUHS said that the university has been consistently undertaking necessary verification and communication of institutional details as part of its efforts to maintain accurate and reliable information relating to its affiliated institutions. “Wherever changes in institutional names or addresses are reported by affiliated colleges and duly processed by the university, the same are communicated to the appropriate authorities for necessary action,” it added.